Northern Ireland Departments: Underspend

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 11 March (WA 168) concerning underspend from the Northern Ireland departments for the year 2001–02, in respect of each department, how much of that underspend has been transferred into 2002–03.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The amount of underspend carried forward from 2001–02 into 2002–03 in respect of the Northern Ireland departments is set out in the following table, and totals £196.9 million. In accordance with the Treasury's end year flexibility (EYF) scheme, this was determined on the basis of an estimate of departmental spend in 2001–02 (made in the early summer of 2002). The remainder of the amount available for carry forward, based on actual departmental spend, will be drawn down in 2003–04, subject (as is always the case in respect of end year flexibility) to agreement by the Treasury of the necessary call on the reserve.
	
		Amount of Underspend Carried Forward from 2001–02 to 2002–03 in respect of each NI Department
		
			 Department Amount carried into 2002–03 (£ million) 
			 Agriculture & Rural Development 21.5 
			 Culture, Arts & Libraries 11.5 
			 Education 38.8 
			 Employment & Learning 18.9 
			 Enterprise, Trade & Industry 18.7 
			 Finance & Personnel 11.1 
			 Health, Social Services & Public Safety 39.6 
			 Environment 2.7 
			 Regional Development 17.5 
			 Social Development 13.4 
			 Office of the First Minister & Deputy First Minister 3.2 
			 Total 196.9

Cross-Border Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Privy Seal on 25 March (WA 72 and WA 73) concerning Cross-Border Implementation Bodies, what are the details of the costs concerned.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The information requested, which relates to the set-up costs of both North South Implementation Bodies and the North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat is provided in the table below.
	
		
			  Furnishing and Fittings £ IT £ Property including rent/purchases £ Professional fees £ Other costs £ Total £ 
			 The Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Waterways Ireland  22,500  173,000  195,500 
			 The Trade and Business Development Body 28,905 226,259 98,467 146,931 168,115 668,677 
			 The Special EU Programmes Body 33,271 47,140 91,696 26,965  199,072 
			 The North/South Language Body 11,732 9,847 120,839 38,603 160,380 341,401 
			 The Food Safety Promotion Board 5,439 45,999 25,562 46,336  123,336 
			 The North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat 21,182 18,507 91,000 14,164  144,853

Cross-Border Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any of the chief executives of the Cross-Border Implementation Bodies have had cars provided for them as part of their remuneration; and, if so, what types of cars they are and what is their value (a) in capital and (b) as a percentage of the relevant chief executive's pay package.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Two of the North/South Implementation Body's chief executives have been provided with cars.
	The chief executive of the Special EU Programmes Body is provided with a Mercedes Benz, which does not have a capital value in accounting terms to the organisation as it is leased. The current taxable benefit of the car is £11,203 or 14 per cent of his remuneration package.
	The chief executive of the Loughs Agency has use of a Landrover Freelander which has a current capital value of £8,703. The current taxable benefit of the car is £2,402. This vehicle is not part of the remuneration package.

Foyle Railway Museum

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What type of insurance cover has been provided for the railway artefacts at the Foyle Railway Museum in Londonderry.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Insurance of the artefacts is a matter for the owners of the artefacts; namely, the council and the Railway Society.jenny

Northern Ireland Arts Council

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the appointment of the chairman of the Northern Ireland Arts Council has been postponed.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Unavoidable delays in the process meant that Angela Smith, Minister with responsibility for Culture, Arts and Leisure, would have had to take decisions on appointments immediately before the possibility of devolution being restored. The view was taken that this appointment should, if possible, be made by a devolved Minister. The postponement was agreed with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments Northern Ireland (OCPA NI).

North/South Ministerial Council

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the North/South Ministerial Council spent in 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03; how much each government contributed; how much was spent on set-up costs and in doing so identifying decorating, carpets and furniture; and how much was spent on other items.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) annual reports for 2000 and 2001 provide financial information in respect of the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat for the periods December 1999 to December 2000 and January 2001 to December 2001 respectively. Copies of these reports can be accessed at the NSMC website, www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org. The annual report for 2002 is not yet finalised, but the indicative total payments for 2002 are in the region of £1,400,000.
	Staff costs associated with the Joint Secretariat are met by the parent administrations. All other costs are divided equally between the two administrations.
	I refer the noble Lord to the responses to HL2062 and HL2305, which detailed the Joint Secretariat's set-up costs and provided a breakdown of those costs respectively. Of the £21,182 for furnishings and fittings referred to in HL 2305, there was a zero spend on decorating, £7,257 spent on carpets, £654 spent on furniture and £13,271 spent on other items respectively.

Boyle Harbour Slurry Wall

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many contractors applied for the contract from Waterways Ireland for the recent installation of a slurry wall at Boyle Harbour; whether Pearse-Bachy made the lowest bid; and, if not, why it was awarded the contract.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The contract for the installation of a slurry wall at Boyle Harbour was awarded by the Irish Government before Waterways Ireland came into existence.

Limerick Harbour

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many moorings have been created in Limerick by Waterways Ireland as a result of a major scheme to enter the Shannon Navigation into Limerick City.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Waterways Ireland has provided mooring spaces in Limerick Harbour to accommodate approximately 27 boats.

Ulster-Scots Future Search Conference

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost of the Future Search for the Ulster-Scots conference which was held by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in 2002; what were the recommendations; and what is the timetable for their implementation.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The total cost of the Ulster-Scots Future Search conference, including planning meetings and expenses, was £27,388.38. The conference produced no recommendations. The conference identified around 30 common themes and a larger number of ideas and potential projects that might support these. Discussions are under way with Ulster-Scots groups with a view to establishing a steering group to take forward the work begun at the conference.

China: North Korean Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What negotiations they have had with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Government of China about treaty obligations to provide sanctuary for North Korean refugees.

Baroness Amos: We regularly raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese, including at the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue. At the last round of the dialogue, on 21 November 2002, we urged China to allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to the border areas and to observe its obligations under the 1951 refugee convention.
	However, Her Majesty's Government have not held negotiations with either the UNHCR or China on this issue. We believe that it is for the parties involved to interpret their obligations under this agreement.
	We will continue to encourage greater co-operation between China and UNHCR on this issue.

Overseas Travel: Young People

Lord Radice: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What initiatives they are planning to ensure that young people are better prepared when travelling abroad.

Baroness Amos: Research shows that 16 to 30 year-olds are the least prepared of all British travellers. Today, therefore, the Government is launching a special campaign aimed at younger travellers. It will offer vital information to help young Britons avoid getting into difficulties overseas by making them aware of some simple precautions they can take before heading off. The campaign will offer advice to those taking a range of trips, from weekend breaks, gap years, or summer package holidays to those going off on adventure sports trips or on honeymoon.
	Overseas travel is an important opportunity for young people, but we need to ensure that the experience is not spoilt by unnecessary problems or accidents. Time spent on research and preparation in advance of a trip can save a great deal of trouble and heartache later. Every year people have distressing experiences. Most think that it could never happen to them. Sadly, it can and it does. That is why the Government are launching this campaign.
	This "youth" mini-campaign forms part of the FCO's ongoing Know Before You Go campaign which, working with over 160 travel industry partners, encourages travellers to be better prepared before travelling overseas. The FCO website www.fco.gov. uk/knowbeforeyougo provides tips for travel overseas including guidance on taking out travel insurance, travel advice and checklists for specific groups such as backpackers and independent travellers, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender travellers, women travellers and those visiting friends and relatives overseas.

Drug Offenders: Court Review Process

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their policy on drug courts.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Government recognise the important role that courts can play in the rehabilitation of drug misusing offenders, particularly where sentencers play an active part in the review and monitoring of an offender's progress and there is continuity through the stages of the court process.
	We are currently looking to build on best court practice in the management of the court review process for the drug treatment and testing order (DTTO), the nearest comparable arrangement we have in England and Wales to drug courts in other jurisdictions. Preparation work is under way in three court areas in England to pilot and evaluate good practice approaches, including the use of selected magistrates trained in drug misuse issues. We will give further consideration to the role the courts have to play in the rehabilitation of drug misusing offenders in the light of the outcome of these pilots and other initiatives.

Drug Offenders: Court Review Process

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What further plans they have to increase the "pilots" of drug courts in England and Wales.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There are no dedicated drug courts, as such, being piloted in England and Wales but we are currently looking to build on best court practice in the management of the court review process for the drug treatment and testing order, the nearest comparable arrangement we have in England and Wales to drug courts in other jurisdictions. Preparation work is under way in three court areas in England to pilot and evaluate good practice approaches, including the use of selected magistrates trained in drug misuse issues. But we shall evaluate the lessons learned from them with a view to promoting best practice throughout England and Wales.

Drug Offenders: Court Review Process

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of drug courts.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There are no established drug courts operating in England and Wales. The nearest comparable arrangement is the court review process for the drug treatment and testing order (DTTO).
	The assessment of Probation Service supervising officers is that the statutory court review of an offender's progress on a DTTO is helpful in maintaining the individual's motivation to complete the order and is welcomed by both offenders and sentencers.
	Pilots are to be introduced in three court areas in England to examine good practice approaches in the management of the court review process for the DTTO. The pilots will be monitored and evaluated.

Drug Offenders: Court Review Process

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What recent discussions they have had with the Council of Europe on the effectiveness of drug courts.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: UK representatives attended a Council of Europe Pompidou Group conference: "European Perspectives on Drug Courts" from 27 to 28 March 2003. My officials will consider the conference report and conclusions.

Iraq: UK Treatment of Prisoners

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the United States Government about the treatment of prisoners captured by British and United States forces in Iraq; and whether they have agreed common criteria for treating any prisoners as not being entitled to the protection of the Geneva convention.

Lord Bach: Treatment of those captured during a period of hostilities are matters for those who capture them (the detaining power). Prisoners captured by United Kingdom forces in Iraq will be treated according to our obligations under the Geneva conventions. Those who are not entitled to prisoner of war status will, nevertheless, be treated humanely and decently. We are confident that the United States will do likewise.

Defence Bills Agency

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What the key targets are for financial year 2003–04 for the Defence Bills Agency.

Lord Bach: Key targets have been set for the chief executive of the Defence Bills Agency (DBA) for the financial year 2003–04. The targets, which build on the already high standards of service provided by the agency since its formation in 1996, are as follows:
	to pay 99.9 per cent of correctly presented bills within 11 calendar days of receipt as part of the department's 30-day payment target;
	to raise 98 per cent of invoices accurately within four days of receipt of a correctly authorised claimable document;
	to ensure that the average percentage of overdue collectable debt due to the department does not exceed 35 per cent of total collectable debt;
	to deliver 99 per cent of the required accounting and financial information feed to the departmental financial management system portal within one working day, 100 per cent within two days;
	to make a progressive improvement of at least 1 per cent in the overall level of customer satisfaction over a baseline of 76 per cent achieved in 2002–03;
	to demonstrate at least a 1 per cent improvement in year-on-year operating efficiency by 31 March 2004, as part of a longer-term continuous improvement programme.

Defence Vetting

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to carry out a review of the defence vetting process.

Lord Bach: A business review of the defence vetting process is to be carried out by the Ministry of Defence.
	Preliminary work has defined the scope of the study. The second phase will begin shortly and should be completed by the autumn. The aim of the review is to examine the function, role, operation, funding and organisation of the Defence Vetting Agency, to seek to identify key objectives and performance and to determine whether its current status is most appropriate for future needs.
	The review team will consult with a range of stakeholders during the course of the review including MoD and single service sponsors, TUs, other government departments and other relevant bodies. The Ministry of Defence is interested also to hear the views of other organisations or individuals who would like to make a contribution to the review. Those wishing to do so should send their contributions by 31 May 2003 to: The Defence Vetting Process Business Review Team Ministry of Defence 2nd Floor St Giles Court 1-13 St Giles High Street London WC2H 8LD Or by email to: dgmo-dmcs25@defence.mod.uk

Chemical Protection Programme

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information they have provided to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons about the United Kingdom's chemical protection programme for 2002.

Lord Bach: The United Kingdom's chemical protection programme is designed to protect against the use of chemical weapons. Such a programme is permitted by the Chemical Weapons Convention, with which the UK is fully compliant. Under the terms of the convention, we are required to provide information annually to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In accordance with the Government's commitment to openness, we are placing in the Library of the House a copy of the summary that has been provided to the organisation outlining the UK's chemical protection programme for 2002. To increase transparency, the format of this year's summary has been revised and for the first time information on civil protection is included.

Pay and Personnel Agency

Lord Barnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What the key targets are for financial year 2003–04 for the Pay and Personnel Agency.

Lord Bach: The chief executive of the Pay and Personnel Agency is responsible for providing civilian pay, pensions and personnel information services for the Ministry of Defence as defined in the agency framework document. The agency will be set the following key performance targets for 2003–04.
	1. Achieve 99.0 per cent average timeliness and 97.8 per cent average accuracy for salary payments, expenses payments and pension awards.
	2. Increase the number of customer forms available on line from 17 in 2002–03 to 25 by March 2004.
	3. Provide customer service and business support for the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) by March 2004.
	4. Improve customer satisfaction from 76 per cent in 2000–01 and 85 per cent in 2002–03 to 90 per cent in 2004–05. [Note: this target is measured every other year and will next be measured in 2004].
	5. Increase the proportion of the agency covered by a single ISO 9001 2000 quality certification from 85 per cent in 2002–03 to 100 per cent by March 24.
	6. Achieve Initial Gate approval for the future pay system by September 2003.
	7. Achieve unit costs of no more than: salary payments £10.25, expenses payments £5.75; pension awards £130.00.

Gulf Region: British Armed Forces

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to withdraw British Armed Forces from the Gulf region.

Lord Bach: In the Written Statement given by my right honourable friend the Defence Secretary (Mr Hoon) on 11 April (Official Report, cols. 38–39WS) in another place he said that we would continue to adjust our forces deployed to the Gulf region as appropriate, withdrawing units whose tasks are complete, and in due course replacing those whose tasks continue.
	Decisive combat operations in Iraq are now complete, and coalition forces are increasingly focusing on stabilisation tasks. It will therefore be possible to make further force level adjustments over the coming weeks while continuing to meet our responsibilities to the Iraqi people.
	For maritime forces, the redeployment of Royal Navy vessels has proceeded as planned. HMS "Ark Royal" has now left the Gulf region and is due to return to the UK in mid-May accompanied by the destroyer HMS "York" and RFA "Fort Victoria." In addition, we now plan to withdraw the helicopter carrier, HMS "Ocean", together with HMS "Edinburgh" and the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries "Fort Austin", "Orangeleaf", "Sir Bedivere" and "Sir Percivale". The RFA "Sir Galahad", "Sir Tristram" and "Bayleaf" are undertaking a rolling programme of maintenance in Singapore to allow them to return to the Gulf to continue to provide support to the humanitarian assistance effort. Further vessels will remain there for the time being to conduct mine clearance operations and force protection.
	As the need for offensive air operations and close air support has significantly diminished, we can bring back further air assets. We have withdrawn around 45 aircraft from the Gulf region, both fixed and rotary wing, including Tornado F3 and GR4, Harrier GR7, Nimrod MR2, VC10 and E3-D aircraft as well as Chinook and Sea King helicopters. A further 26 helicopters will be withdrawn at the same time as HMS "Ocean".
	For land forces, conditions now allow for the return of a further 3,500 personnel to the UK. This will include 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment, with elements of 26 Regiment Royal Artillery, 38 Engineer Regiment and 1st Battalion the Light Infantry. It will also include a number of individuals who were attached to a wide variety of ground units and formations to perform specific augmenting roles. Returning forces are due a period of post-operational tour leave to which they are entitled, following which they will begin to prepare for training and then redeployment on other important operational taskings. In some cases, this will mean a return to Iraq to take part in continuing operations. In addition, we intend to withdraw 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, who were the first of the land formations to be deployed, during the course of May.
	We will now begin to prepare 19 Mechanised Brigade to take over from forces previously involved in combat operations in Iraq, allowing us to meet the continuing task of providing a stabilisation force within the UK area of operations. We would expect them to start this new task in July, commencing preparations immediately.
	In spite of these changes significant pressures remain on the Armed Forces if they are to meet the full range of their commitments. In order to meet our continuing obligations in Iraq, we have authorised the issuing of further call-out notices, against the order made in January under Section 54(1) of the Reserve Forces Act 1996, sufficient to generate up to 1,200 reservists. There will be a requirement to call out further reservists as the operation proceeds, and we will keep the House informed of our plans. In parallel, we will be starting to demobilise those Reserves who are returning home. In time, the overall numbers of Reserves required in Iraq will reduce significantly. We have also decided to extend the tour of the 1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, enabling them to continue in their key role of ensuring security in the region of Az Zubayr.
	While details continue to be clarified, we envisage that by mid-May between 25,000 and 30,000 UK service personnel will remain deployed in the Gulf region, continuing to fulfil our responsibilities towards the Iraqi people. The planned replacement of forces is clear evidence of our commitment to them.
	Our aim is to leave an Iraq that is confident, secure and fully integrated with the international community. The planning process to establish the precise level of the continuing UK presence needed to achieve this aim is a dynamic one, and is kept under review. We will also need to take account of the contributions of coalition partners. We will continue to withdraw assets and personnel from the region where possible, but we will maintain an appropriate military presence for as long as necessary.

16 to 19 Year-olds: Cross-government Review of Financial Support

Earl Russell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What will be the terms of reference for the cross-government review of financial support for 16 to 19 year-olds; and who will be represented among those who conduct the review.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: In the 2003 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report the Government stated that the review will report in spring 2004 and will examine the financial incentives for young people to participate in education and training and the interaction between this support and any new minimum wage for 16 and 17 year-olds; the financial support for young people and their parents or carers, including those who are living independently and those in very low paid employment; and how the system of financial incentives and support could be rationalised, given the variety of channels through which it is currently delivered.
	The Chancellor will be discussing the detailed terms of reference for the review with Cabinet colleagues shortly.

Child Poverty

Earl Russell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the new measure of child poverty mentioned in paragraph 5.9 of the Budget report (HC500) will attempt to assess the numbers on levels of poverty below 40 per cent of average income; and, if not, why not.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The Government launched Measuring child poverty: a consultation document in April 2002 to gather views on an appropriate measure of child poverty for the long term. This consultation was very well received and preliminary conclusions will be published in late spring 2003. Further technical work, with experts in the field will be necessary before finalising the detail of any new measure.
	Various low-income thresholds are already monitored through my department's Households Below Average Income series. This reports on the proportions of people living below 40 per cent, 50 per cent and 60 per cent of average (mean) income, as well as below 50 per cent, 60 per cent and 70 per cent of median income. This series is published under national statistics and is not subject to change through our consultation on child poverty.

Teenage Pregnancy Strategy

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Chief Medical Officer will, as requested by St George's Hospital Medical School, revise the January 2003 Chief Medical Officer's update 35 relating to evidence to support the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, in order to reflect the successes of abstinence education

Baroness Andrews: The position expressed with regard to abstinence education in the Chief Medical Officer's update is informed by high quality reviews of the international evidence. The most recent of these (Swann, C, Bowe, K, McCormick, G and Kosmin, M (2003) Evidence-Based briefing paper on teenage pregnancy and parenthood. Health Development Agency) considered the evidence from all high quality systematic and other reviews and meta-analyses published since 1996. Their findings reinforced the evidence base for the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. They concluded that "on the whole, our findings indicate that abstinence approaches (despite heavy funding provision in the US) do not work". There is therefore no basis on which to revise the January 2003 Chief Medical Officer's Update 35.

Haemophilia: Factor VIII and Factor IX Blood Products

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many adverse incidents relating to the use of Factor VIII and Factor IX blood products used for haemophilia treatment were reported in each year from 1970 to 1987 in England.

Baroness Andrews: Reports of adverse drug reactions to medicines are collated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card Scheme.
	During the period 1970–87 no reports of suspected adverse drug reactions were reported to the MHRA/CSM, associated with Factor IX in the United Kingdom.
	In the UK, a total of 89 reports of suspected adverse drug reactions were reported to be associated with Factor VIII during the period 1970–87. The following table lists the number of reports received by year:
	
		
			 Year Number of reports received 
			 1970 0 
			 1971 0 
			 1972 0 
			 1973 0 
			 1974 3 
			 1975 0 
			 1976 2 
			 1977 8 
			 1978 10 
			 1979 20 
			 1980 7 
			 1981 17 
			 1982 2 
			 1983 3 
			 1984 1 
			 1985 7 
			 1986 7 
			 1987 2 
			 Total 89 
		
	
	The figures provided relate to the number of reports received. Some reports may contain more than one reaction.
	The reporting of a reaction does not necessarily mean that it has been caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account when assessing causal relationships including temporal relationship, the possible contribution of concomitant medication, and the underlying disease.

West Sussex Social Services: Safe House

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the safe house for children at risk of trafficking for sexual exploitation, managed by West Sussex social services, is in danger of closing; and, if so, whether they will provide resources to prevent this closure.

Baroness Andrews: The Department of Health is aware of the important work undertaken by the West Sussex safe house—a resource for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children for whom West Sussex County Council has responsibility. We understand that a proposal has been put to West Sussex County Council to close the safe house and replace it with training and support packages to carers of young people assessed as being at risk of being trafficked.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Postponement of International Conference

Lord Chan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they regret the postponement of an international conference on traditional Chinese medicine at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre on 25 April because more than 200 delegates were coming from China and Hong Kong.

Baroness Andrews: The Government regret the postponement of the international conference on traditional Chinese medicine. They welcome the rescheduling of the conference for September 2003.

SARS

Lord Chan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice they would give to the Chinese community in the United Kingdom to avoid the fear and alarm which was generated by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) among the Chinese community in Toronto in the week beginning 7 April.

Baroness Andrews: The Department of Health issued updated information and advice to all travellers from the United Kingdom about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on Wednesday 2 April. This information is reviewed daily.

Fresh Frozen Plasma

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the recent discontinuation of human-derived follicle-stimulating hormone (Metrodin High Purity) by the Committee on Safety of Medicines because of the posed risk of vCJD, whether they have assessed the cost of possible compensation claims from transfusion of vCJD through United Kingdom-sourced fresh frozen plasma.

Baroness Andrews: No specific assessment has been made of the possible compensation claims from transfusion of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease through United Kingdom-sourced fresh frozen plasma. There is no evidence world wide that CJD or vCJD has ever been transmitted through blood or blood products although the theoretical risk cannot be ruled out.

Genetically Modified Crops

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will describe the timetable for decisions to be made about the commercial growing of genetically modified crops, the public debate and research being undertaken; and in particular whether:
	(a) the results of the field trials involving genetically modified crops will be published in time for them to form part of the material available to the public taking part in the debate; and
	(b) the Government's decision about whether to authorise commercial planting of genetically modified crops will be made during or after the conclusion of the public debate.

Lord Whitty: (a) The farm scale evaluations of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops are being conducted by an independent research consortium and overseen by an independent Scientific Steering Committee. The research consortium has now written up its work on the spring-sown crops into a series of scientific papers and has submitted them to a scientific journal where they are currently undergoing peer review. I understand that, if accepted, the papers are unlikely to be published before September. The main phase of the public debate is being conducted between June and July and the steering board is due to report in September. The results of the FSEs are therefore likely to be available to the public taking part in the debate. However once published, the crop trial results will be in the public domain and will be available for comment.
	(b) Decisions about whether to authorise the planting of GM crops are expected to be made after the conclusion of the public debate. In terms of individual applications, the commercial cultivation of GM crops is regulated at EU level under EC Directive 2001/18 and decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis. Ten applications for commercial cultivation are currently being considered. These include two of the GM crops in the farm scale evaluations. Final decisions on any of these are unlikely to be taken at EU level before the end of the year, by which time we will have the report of the public debate and the first set of results from the crop trials.